ACCOUNTANTS’ STATUS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 444, 28 August 1928, Page 16

ACCOUNTANTS’ STATUS

“A HIGH PROFESSION”

SOCIETY’S ANNUAL MEETING

That the accountancy profession in New Zealand ha® gained dignity, and is on a level with accepted high professions, was the opinion expressed yesterday afternoon by Mr. Ernest W. Hunt, of Wellington, president of the Society of Accountants, at the nineteenth annual meeting of the society in Auckland.

“Although the membership has decreased by 527 to 1,820 in the past 19 years,” he said, “it has adjusted itself in an extraordinary manner. Whereas only 11 per cept. of the original members had been admitted by examination, there are now no fewer than 60 per cent, examined members. Certainly highly qualified men, with experience and ability, were among the originals, but the society is becoming what the promoters intended—a body of qualified men with examination and experience. MORE CANDIDATES “A feature of accountancy examinations to-day is that they are the largest of the University of New Zealand. In 1927 there were 1,656 accountancy candidates, against 765 for the law professional examination. The decision of the society to make matriculation, after 1931, a means of entrance to the society, will do a great deal in bringing up the standard of the examinations.” Mr. Hunt said the benevolent fund had reached £7,000, and was to be built up to £IO,OOO. A feature in Government accounting was the employment of qualified men. In 1914 the State had employed 22. Now there were 243. A society member was at the head of practically every department where accounting was of value. Mr. Hunt announced that Mr. T. Auton (Wellington) had been elected a society council member, and Messrs. Hugh Bailey (New Plymouth), W. E. Best (Christchurch), J. Hogg (Dunedin), W. H. Irvine (Gisborne), and A. M. Seaman (Auckland) had been reelected council members. Other council members at the meeting were: Messrs. W. A. Smith (Christchurch), W. T. D. Revell (Timaru), G. W. Reid (Dunedin), E. J. Harvey (Blenheim). J. McF. Elliffe (Auckland), J. L. Griffin (Wellington), R. Davis (Palmerston North), and L. A. Denton (Hastings).